Flat No. 15109!

Keerthan had no idea what he was getting into. He had recently shifted to the apartment complex, his new friends had challenged him to spend a night in flat no 15109 of their building…alone! ‘What’s the big deal’ thought Keerthan, he was a brave boy all of 17 years and he absolutely loved adventures. He would have agreed even if they had asked him to spend a night in any haunted villa in a secluded place! But this was so menial; to spend a few hours of the night in a flat of their residential building complex! His home was 2 floors below the said flat, 'what could be dangerous about this?' And he had readily agreed.

 He was a brave boy, no doubt but he was careful too. He did research about the said flat, ‘just to be on the safer side’ he reasoned. The flat in question was locked from outside, it was a normal flat just like any other flats you would see in an apartment. Children were playing casually on that floor and there were people residing in the immediate flats too. ‘Maybe my new friends are just testing my bravery, they have no idea who they are dealing with’ thought Keerthan.

It was 8 pm. Roshan had a spare key to flat no. 15109; Roshan, Darshan, Raima, and Tia his friends at the society did come inside the flat along with Keerthan. Raima clicked on the lights. His friends showed him around (it appeared they had come here before, maybe they had also spent a night there alone!) and after wishing him all the best, they departed, of course after locking it from outside. Now Keerthan was all alone in the flat. It was designed just like his own home but with a different set of furniture, that’s all. It didn’t look eerie to him; He particularly liked the red sofa there and comfortably perched himself on it. It was like he was sitting in his own home, nothing more nothing less.

Keerthan had come here equipped with a torch, a match stick and a candle fearing that it would be dark inside, but surprisingly for a house closed for more than 2 years, it did have a power connection. How very considerate of the society he thought. He switched off all the other lights and left only the hall light on. He had also brought with him his cell phone, some snacks, and water. ‘It is only 8.30 now need to spend another 2 hours before I can sleep and 10 hours while sleeping. Total 12 hours! what am I going to do for so long, please let something interesting happen’ he wished, ‘it would be interesting if I get to meet one or two ghosts here, man, it would be so awesome!’ he giggled.

 It was 9 and nothing strange had happened, Keerthan had become comfortable in the new flat now. He was listening to his favorite song on his cell phone and just enjoying his solitude, heartily digging into his snacks when all of a sudden….

He heard a strange sound, ‘dud dud dud...dud dud dud’ it was like someone hitting the wall nearby, and suddenly it started getting very cold, he had his jacket on even then the cold was unbearable..ooo, he was shivering and all of a sudden he started feeling very hot! Very very hot! The lights started flickering slowly and then it was complete darkness! Now, Keerthan had a rush of adrenaline, what was happening? There was no explanation. Keerthan desperately tried striking the match stick to light the candle, it wouldn’t light up, the torch wouldn’t get on either, neither his cell phone could give any light. 

It was just total darkness! Beads of sweat started forming on his forehead. Keerthan could hear children talking and laughing in the nearby flats though. But the fear started gripping him now and then suddenly there was light, not only in the hall where he was sitting but light in all the rooms of flat no.15109! The TV in the room started to play on its own! He could hear loud roaring laughter the ‘dud dud dud” sound resumed, for a few seconds and then stopped. He couldn't fathom any of this.‘Maybe they have planned this, I know they have set up this room, my friends are hiding somewhere here’ he tried to assure himself and started searching the house. “Hello there! Who’s there Helloo…” he called out shakily “You you.. couldn’t scaaare me dearrrrs you you hear meee, come out off your h..h..hiding place, I know you are here” he said. With shivering legs and trembling hands, he started searching for the house.

 He slowly moved to the other room, he searched behind the curtains, below the cot, in the kitchen, bathroom everywhere, he didn’t find anyone. The flat was not very big and he searched in every corner where he felt one could hide; there was no one. Maybe I accidentally pressed the remote when it was dark, he consoled himself and slowly came back to the sofa and sat on it trembling and sweating. 

He switched off the TV and continued listening to the songs on his phone. Nothing happened for some time now and Keerthan began to relax a little. He started walking around the house just to feel more comfortable in the house. He could hear people talk in the nearby flats and the vehicles moving downstairs, this put him at ease or so he thought. 

Then again, the same strange sound resumed ‘dud dud dud..dud dud dud’ ‘who the hell was banging the wall!!’ and then suddenly everything became silent, dead silent! The noise he could hear a few seconds earlier suddenly stopped. The phone had also stopped playing the song.“What is happening!” he screamed, but he couldn’t hear his own voice! There was no sound whatsoever; he neither could hear his heartbeats that had started pounding so vigorously nor his heavy breathing which was uncontrollable now. This unexplained silence lasted for around 15 mins for Keerthan it was like an eternity, he coiled himself up and just sat there stunned. 

Suddenly he heard people laughing and talking, he was shaken up by his cell phone ringing loudly, Keerthan was sweating profusely now, he didn’t know whether to take the call or not, ‘maybe it is my friends’ he thought, slowly he picked up his cell phone he couldn’t see the contact details, he slowly put the phone to his ears and “Keerthan, why do you take so much time to pick up the phone?” it was his mother. “Yes Mom,” said Keerthan in a feeble voice. “Keerthan beta, are you alright?” “Yes Mom, as fit as a fiddle” lied Keerthan. “OK dear, how’s your combined study going on? You take care, okay, have your dinner and study well” “Yes Mom” he wanted to yell get me out of here, but he just couldn’t.

Keerthan didn’t know what to do now, he rushed to the main door and started banging and kicking it hard, somebody would hear the sound and open the door he thought, but it was no use. He had to be there till morning when his friends would come to take him out. ‘If only I am alive till then’ he rued. Again it started getting very cold for an instant very hot and then cold again; it was like someone was deliberately messing around with the temperature control. Keerthan had an idea; he had stored ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ on his phone. ‘I will play it, yes yes’ he thought he had figured it out. He ran towards his phone, took it in his hand, and, it was not working! He for the first time regretted not learning the chant by heart. Ignoring his mom he would always say, “I have stored it in my phone Mom, I can listen to it whenever I want to” But when he needed it the most he just couldn’t play it…

He was feeling the presence of something else in the room, like 'it' was sitting very close to him; he had felt the presence when he was searching the home too; a cold shiver went down his spine. He wanted to pick up the cell phone and call up his friends ‘get me out of here’. But something was stopping or was it holding, his hands from taking the phone. His face became white and he just sat still, he felt his end was near; he started reciting all the names of the God he knew.

 “How long you have been here?” he heard a female voice, crystal clear, he really couldn’t discern it, he at once fell down, unconscious.

Raima tried to wake him up; she sprinkled some water on him, and slowly shook him up. Keerthan gradually came to his senses. “Sorry to have scared you,” said Raima. “I tried to tell you never to come to this house but you wouldn’t listen to me. I got the keys from Rohan, come let’s get out of here” she said. Keerthan couldn’t believe that it was Raima there, maybe it is the trick of the unknown, he thought, but when she said that she had the keys and they can get out of the flat, he had to believe her, he jumped up at once and both of them ran towards the door. The door would not open. “You said you unlocked it,” asked Keerthan. “Yes I did, how do you think I entered, and I had kept the door open, how did it get shut, why are we not able to open it now, please Keerthan please do something.” cried Raima. 

They frantically started kicking and banging the door, it wouldn’t open. “See what I’ve gotten into, I came here to get you out of this haunted house and see I am stuck here, what am I going to do?” shouted Raima. “Wait a minute,” said Keerthan, “did you just say that this house is haunted? And all of you knew about it?”

 “Yes, Keerthan, this house is haunted, I tried to tell you but you didn’t want to listen”. Said Raima “That was because I wanted to stay alone in an unknown house, I wanted to experience that feeling, I didn’t know it was haunted, Why did you guys get me into this?” “It was Darshan’s idea, he was jealous of you, of your bravery and all the adventures you were part of, he wanted to see how brave you actually are,” said Raima. “And that’s why he sent me here to show my bravery with the ghosts! That’s crazy man” screamed Keerthan.

They were helpless, what else they could do, Keerthan again started reciting all the names of God he knew. “You really think calling out God’s name will make us safe?” asked Raima. “If that’s the case, there are so many houses in the building and almost all of them have a prayer room and do their pooja regularly, why do you think this has no effect on the ghost of flat no. 15109? And a few years back the society did hold a pooja or something to ward off the ghost from here, but as you can see it has not worked either.” Said Raima “What’s wrong in trying Raima, only God can save us now” defended Keerthan. “Whatever you say Keerthan, but I think this is not going to work, this is not going to save us Keerthan.”

 “Let us check if the balcony door can open” jumped Keerthan. “What are you saying? You remember we are on the 15th floor” said Raima “Come let’s try, anybody can see us and get us out of here, or else we can try and climb down” he rushed towards the balcony door and started kicking it. Raima saw the door bolted from inside and opened it, the door did open! They rushed out, the fresh air in the balcony, the regular noise outside, for an instant made Keerthan feel that everything was normal. But unfortunately, it was not. It was freezing dark outside, Keerthan tried to catch the attention of the houses in the opposite building, he waved his hands, shouted with all his might, thumped on the floor, did whatever he could do at that time to attract attention, but of no use, it was 1 in the night and everyone were fast asleep. Below there were one or two cars moving, from time to time, but obviously, nobody was interested to know what was going on in the building above at that time of the night.

 “My home is only 2 floors below, come on let’s jump down the balconies, we can do this Raima, this is the only way out, come on hurry up” saying this Keerthan stood on the ledge of the balcony and peeked down, it was scary, standing on the ledge of the balcony of the 15th floor without any support, no sane person would ever do it but for Keerthan it was nothing compared to the horror that was inside flat no.15109. He carefully got down from the ledge and jumped to the balcony below. Raima stood there shivering, trying to judge his next move. ‘Now that was easy’ thought Keerthan, ‘a little more focus, and a little patience and in no time I will be in my home’, a sudden surge of energy filled him up and the confidence that he could escape easily from flat no. 15109, consumed him. He looked up to see whether Raima was following him, she was still up there, he screamed out telling her to do as he was doing, she got hold of the ledge. The dogs of their society began barking uncontrollably now. 

Keerthan began descending the 14th floor, he followed the same trick, his home was on the 12th floor, he had to jump another 2 balconies down to reach his home. Raima was also managing pretty well. ‘One more balcony to go and then we will be free of all this. It has been a long eventful night; I will just dig into my bed and sleep for one whole day’ thought Keerthan. He for the last time let out his hands and jumped down happy to be on the balcony of his home.

He opened his eyes to find himself in the room. In the room that he had seen sometime back, he was on the same red sofa. He was in flat no. 15109!                      

“Was it a dream? Were we not just a few steps away from my home?” said Keerthan, unable to believe or reason out what had just happened. “Yes we were Keerthan, but I don’t know what happened it is just so surreal, we are again here in this house, is there no way out Keerthan, please tell me, please what do we do now?” Raima was in tears. “I am sorry Raima, you are here because of me, and thank you very much you came here to get me out, you shouldn’t have come Raima, you shouldn’t have come. You would have been safe, I am sorry you are here because of me” cried Keerthan. “You don’t be sorry, it is not your fault Keerthan, I just thought I will open the door and get you out of here, I thought it was easy, I underestimated the situation, I should have stopped you before. I should have stopped you before” panicked Raima.

They had no strength left in them now, they had resigned to the fact that there was no escape, they couldn’t do anything now, and they had realized it was not humanly possible. They just sat there shivering and crying and supporting and consoling each other.

“It’s only 2 hours now and then it will be morning Raima, and I think and hope that everything will be alright by then, it will be normal Raima, I’m sure, I’ve seen children play near this flat without any fear, I think in the morning there is nothing to be scared about this flat Raima, you don’t worry we will be fine, we can go to our homes, it’s only for 2 hours that we have to be brave and then everything will be alright, you don’t worry, everything will be alright,” said Keerthan

 “Is that what you think Keerthan? Screeched Raima, “Well, I don’t think so, and in fact for your kind information, it never has and never will the sunrise, never will it be morning here in my flat, in my flat no. 15109” she said and started laughing hysterically. Taking Keerthan in her hand she engulfed in thick white smoke and disappeared. 

 Keerthan was sleeping or was he unconscious when his friends came in the morning. They shook him up, he wouldn’t get up, they were a little scared, Tia sprinkled some water on him, and Keerthan slowly opened his eyes. “How was it dude?” asked Darshan, Keerthan didn’t answer, he just smiled nervously at them. Roshan and Raima were also there. Keerthan looked at Raima, she smiled at him and a sharp chill went down his spine.